The quality of informational social support in online health communities: A content analysis of cancer-related discussions

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Informational social support is one of the main reasons for patients to visit online health communities (OHCs). Calls have been made to investigate the objective quality of such support in the light of a worrying number of inaccurate online health-related information. The main aim of this study is to conceptualize the Quality of Informational Social Support (QISS) and develop and test a measure of QISS for content analysis. A further aim is to investigate the level of QISS in cancer-related messages in the largest OHC in Slovenia and examine the differences among various types of discussion forums, namely, online consultation forums, online support group forums, and socializing forums.

Methods

A multidimensional measurement instrument was developed, which includ

SUBMITTER: Petric G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9941603 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature